Releases

Minister of State for European Affairs, Dara Murphy TD, is in Lisbon for a two day programme of meetings, covering a range of issues on the EU agenda including Brexit, the Future of Europe and the Digital Single Market.

Speaking before his arrival in Lisbon, the Minister said:

“We’ve clearly seen a lot of welcome progress on Brexit in recent days, particularly the adoption of the negotiation Guidelines by the European Council on Saturday, which included strong language on the unique Irish issues. Overall, this marks an important milestone for the EU27 but our work continues, both on Brexit and on the wider EU agenda.

"My visit to Lisbon is an integral part of this ongoing effort.

"I will of course discuss Brexit during my engagements as this represents an important opportunity to listen to the perspective of our Portuguese partners as well as to emphasise the priorities for Ireland in the negotiations ahead."

The Minister continued:

“But our discussions will not be restricted to the Brexit negotiations alone. As a committed member of the EU, ensuring a strong and well-functioning Union into the future is a key priority for the Government.

"Now, more than ever, we need to reach out to our partners around the EU table to progress issues which will make real, concrete differences to the lives of our citizens. My programme of meetings in Portugal will allow me discuss some of these key issues, not least in relation to the Digital Agenda."